CHARMING. 481

paper, that absorbed all that was spoken, and asked for more,
She was very appreciative and incredibly ignorant—a kind of
female Caspar Hauser.

“T should like to see Rome,” she said. “It must be a lovely
city, with all the strangers who are continually arriving there.
Now, do give us a description of Rome. How does the city look
when you come in by the gate?”

“TI cannot very well describe it,” replied the sculptor. “A
great open place, and in the midst of it an obelisk, which is a
thousand years old.”

“An organist !” exclaimed the lady, who had never met with ©
the word obelisk. .

A few of the guests could hardly keep from laughing, nor could
the sculptor quite keep his countenance; but the smile that rose
to his lips faded away, for he saw, close by the inquisitive dame,
a pair of dark blue eyes—they belonged to the daughter of the
speaker, and any one who has such a daughter cannot be silly !
The mother was like a fountain of questions, and the daughter.
who listened but never spoke, might pass for the beautiful Naiad
of the fountain. How charming she was! She was a study for
the sculptor to contemplate, but not to converse with ; and, in-
deed, she did not speak, or only very seldom.

“ Has the Pope a Jarge family ?” asked the lady.

And the young man considerately answered, as if the question
had been better put,

“No, he does not come of a great family.”

“That’s not what I mean,” the widow persisted. “I mean,
has he a wife and children?”

“The Pope is not allowed to marry,” said the gentleman.

“T don’t like that,” was the lady’s comment.

She certainly might have put more sensible questions; but if
she had not spoken in just the manner she used, would her
daughter have leaned so gracefully upon her shoulder, looking
straight out with the almost mournful smile upon her face?

Then Mr. Alfred spoke again, and told of the glory of colour
in Italy, of the purple hills, the blue Mediterranean, the azure sky
ofthe South, whose brightness and glory was only to be surpassed
in the North by a maiden’s deep blue eyes. And this he said
with a peculiar application ; but she who should have understood
his meaning, looked as if she were quite unconscious of it, and
that again was charming !

“Ttaly!” sighed a few of the guests.

“Oh, to travel!” sighed others.

“ Charming ! charming !” chorused they all. .

“Ves, if I win a hundred thousand dollars in the lottery,” said
the head tax-collector’s lady, “then we will travel. I and my
daughter, and you, Mr. Alfred ; you must be our guide. We’llall
three travel together, and one or.two good friends more.” And

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